Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg pledged in a press release to continue efforts to maintain paid family care leave, stressing that it is not just "wasted time."
Buttigieg, who recently became a father of twins, was asked about the family leave, as negotiations continue over whether to include it in the "Rebuilding Social Spending Better" bill, after it was left out of Biden's latest action plan that included up to Up to 12 weeks of parental leave. He said his personal experience has taught him that a vacation is "a time to do other work that is no less important than a job."
Mr Buttigieg recently took a leave of absence after adopting twins in August. Where the health of one of them remained unstable for three weeks, which he spent between the hospital and home, before recovering.
The White House had reduced the vacation to four weeks during negotiations, before it was waived entirely in the infrastructure agreement approved by the House of Representatives last week. Biden has yet to sign the agreement into law, and a final vote on the bill has yet to be set. However, News Week indicated that it is expected to be passed within the next week.
Still, Buttigieg said the president's plan to "build back better" would be beneficial to families, even if it did not include paid family leave. But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi indicated last week that paid family and medical leave would likely be included again in the plan.
But according to the newspaper, the fate of this measure remains uncertain in the Senate, as Democrats will not accept the loss of a single vote to pass the bill through reconciliation.
Senator Joe Manchin said last week that he did not believe family leave was included in the bill. As he told CNN, "In my opinion this legislation is really important, but if we do it right."
“Universal preschool care, making life easier and the Child Tax Credit a great thing, would make a huge difference for new parents,” Buttigieg told reporters.
The Hill explained that the "reconstruction" law includes a contribution to the costs incurred by families to care for their children to no more than 7% of the income of families that earn up to 250% of the average income. Extending the children's tax credit for one year and free preschool education for six years.
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